"The List"

A few years ago...I made a "list" of things that I wanted to do before I die...some of them are worldly desires...and some of them are more spiritual in nature. One of the things that I wanted to do was go to see the PRICE is RIGHT show before Bob Barker retired. Sure enough...I made plans with David and a good friend, Jennifer and her husband, and we all packed our things and headed off to Burbank California. Jen and I camped out in line all night (while our husbands got to sleep in the hotel no less) and waited for the blessed event of turning in our tickets the next morning to be selected to see the show. There were hundreds of people in line...and it wasn't the most comfortable accomodations...but it was a night to remember! (It is also a night I wouldn't like to repeat anytime soon...LOL!) Anyway the sun finally peeked it's head...and Jennifer, myself, and our husbands got the privilege of turning in our tickets for numbers...and then got to wait in line for 5 more hours before the show started. IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!! I have watched the Price is Right since I was a little kid...and to be in the studio audience was surreal! We slept for 18 hours straight after the end of the show...I guess we really needed it. One of the other "worldly" desires was to see Celine Dion live in concert someday...I was able to do that this past February! My 10 year old daughter, Lilli, watched the life story of Celine Dion...and fell in love with her too! I looked her up on the internet...and found out that we had missed her concert in Phoenix...and that the nearest location was Salt Lake City. I enrolled my best friend, Tonya, into coming with us...and we made the plans and purchased our airline tickets. We planned our trip with enough advance notice...that we were able to get things pretty cheap! We got a rental car for 3 days for only $47...then I was able to book a nice hotel for only $37/night...and finally we were able to get tickets to Salt Lake City for only $84/ one way! I really felt like the Lord was blessing our efforts...as I asked him to help make this trip possible. When the trip finally arrived...we packed our bags...and got on the plane...and then arrived in Salt Lake City. We were able to set up accomodations for my daughter Lilli...with her favorite cousin, Jane...that way she was able to stay occupied and not get bored! It was a tough trip...and along the way...Lilli continued to complain...or make things difficult for myself and Tonya. Perhaps, she felt like she didn't have my undivided attention...and that is why she was lashing out. I questioned if I had done the right thing by bringing her...but when we got to the concert...and I saw her face light up with happiness when Celine came on stage...a sweet spirit came over me...and I knew that I had done the right thing. I wanted Lilli to know that her dreams were important to me...and to have the memory of sharing that dream with her mom...if hard times ever come. When we got home...we had a family home evening...and David asked if anybody had anything that they wanted to say...Lilli surprised me by raising her hand...she then proceeded to explain that she was sorry for her bad behavior during our trip...and how grateful she was that her mother listened to her...and helped her accomplish one of her dreams. She wept...and I wept with her! We embraced...and I told her how grateful I was to have a daughter like her...that we may not always get a long...but that she is important to me...and I do hear the desires of her heart...and do my best to meet them. I was so grateful that the Lord provided a way that we could both have our needs met...and both experience a "dream" coming true together! I will never forget this experience as long as I live. I was also so grateful that my best friend came a long...I really believe that she helped soften my heart while Lilli was lashing out...so I didn't react in the wrong way to her behavior...and ruin the trip for all of us. I am mostly grateful for my sweet daughter...and especially for her tender feelings that she shared with our whole family when she got home...regarding her gratitude for "me" her mother! I think that everybody should have a "list" of things to do before they die! I think it makes life worth living...and gives us something to look forward too! Things may come and go on the list...some of them we may fullfill and some we may decide not too...but at least at the end of our lives...we can say we lived to the fullest...and accomplished our dreams! The following is a list of some of the things that I would like to do before I die:

1) Take my whole family to Hawaii and spend several days vacationing there!

2) Have the opportunity to sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!

3) Learn Spanish...and have a chance to serve a Spanish Speaking mission with David!

4) Be in one of my favorite musicals...such as "Secret Garden" or "Miss Saigon"!

5) Go to New York City and see a musical on Broadway!

6) See Adamondiaman!

7) Publish a book of poems or a novel!

8) Ride really fast on a motorcycle down the freeway!

9) Bring my kids to their Savior...and teach them what the true atonement means in their
lives!

10) See each of my kids happily married for time and all eternity in the temple!

11) Live to my fullest potential...and touch as many lives as I was meant to touch!

* I'm sure that this list will continue to change from time to time...as my desires change...I will update it as it does! May you all live life to it's fullest...and may all your dreams come true!
~Christina